Religion -
As with most of the Ancient world, religion has played a very important role in the history of this region. Religion serves as a place of guidance for people, where it unites them under a common belief and establishes customs that people abide by. Although there are various groups that have their own local spiritual beliefs, the majority religion of Central Africa was Christianity, where many blended their local beliefs with those of Christianity that were brought by Portuguese missionaries. Religion serves as a point of importance in the history of central Africa and it is important to keep it in mind.
Kingdom of Ndongo -
The Kingdom of Ndongo (or Kingdom of Ngola) is the name of a pre-colonial African state in modern day Angola built by the Mbundu, a Bantu-speaking people inhabiting northern Angola. |
Home of the Mbundu people, originally a vassal state of the kingdom of Kongo, they became an independent state in the 15th to 16th century. By having been established by many conquered territories. Known for their trade in ivory, copper, salt, cattle hides, and slaves.
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Queen NzingaA strong leader in Ancient Africa, she is one of the only Female leaders of her time, who ruled the land of both the Ndongo and Matamba kingdoms. In this picture we can see that Queen Nzinga is bravely leading her people in resisting the rule of the Portuguese colonizers. |
Kingdom of Matamba -
The Matamba kingdom was notably ruled by females. As Portugal became preoccupied with the Ndongo Kingdom as a source of slaves, two inland Mbundu states--Matamba and Kasanje-- prospered African kingdom located on the Cuango River northeast of Luanda, Angola. Founded by Kimbundu-speaking people (Mbundu) before the 16th century, it was loosely under the orbit of the Kongo kingdom until about 1550. Matamba served as Njinga’s main base in the long war with Portugal and her Ndongo rival 1756, Ana was regnant of Matamba and neighbouring kingdom Ndongo. Portuguese forces and missionaries had begun to infiltrate the kingdoms in the 1560s. 1657 peace treaty, Matamba and Ndongo faced another conflict with Portugal under Ana in 1744, the Luso-Matamba war. This was due to Matamba resistance to a trade alliance with the Portuguese of Angola. The Matamba army defeated the Portuguese. Portuguese army managed to reach the capital of the Kingdom. Ana was then forced to sign a treaty of vassalage to Portugal so they would leave the capital. This meant the kingdoms were an official vassal of Portugal, opening them up to Portuguese trade Ana aimed to spread Catholicism amongst her subjects, writing to missionaries to establish permanent bases in Matamba and Ndongo. |
Kingdom of Kongo -
The kingdom of Kongo was founded in 1390 CE. Portugal made contact with the Kongolese, and they began to send missionaries to spread their religion, messages of peace, and creating trading routes. Although the relationship become strained due to trade relations becoming heavily focused on slaves, and Portugal wanting their resources (copper, pottery, ivory, etc.) and land. Before being in contact with the Portuguese in 1482, little to none is known about slavery in Kongo. A number of sources state that there was an established tradition of making slaves out of people displaced by conquest in the early 1400s. This is potentially explained by the fact that the export of slaves was central to the ability of Kongo to maintain its relationship with Portugal, which meant that Kongo needed to have a constant supply of slaves. The Kingdom of Kongo also became largely dependent on slave labor and armies to maintain control. With the Kingdom of Kongo eventually fall due to the scheming nobles, feuding royal factions, and the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, initiating its eventual decline, and strained relationship with Portugal.
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Portugal:
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Slavery and the Slave Trade
Through much of the transatlantic slave trade era, merchants and planters identified the region and its captive Africans as “Angola” and “Angolans.” In the 15th century, Central Africa opened direct relations both with the Mediterranean world of Islam and with the Atlantic world of Christendom. Central African slaves taken to the island slave market were sold to three destinations. Akan miners of the Gold Coast in West Africa shipped to Europe and used both for domestic service in the town and for farm labor slave was put to work locally on the island. Many slaves were captured directly or obtained as ransom for important chiefs. Many more were obtained from long-distance trade networks that penetrated ever deeper into the heart of Central Africa both by river and by footpath
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The Art of Central Africa -
This section displays a variety of art ranging from statues, pottery, textiles and more showing the diverse and unique culture that was found in these ancient kingdoms.
Bibliography:
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- “Ancient Africa for Kids: Kingdoms of Central Africa.” Ducksters.com, 2019, www.ducksters.com/history/africa/kingdoms_central_africa.php.
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- “AP African American Studies Unit 1 Source Reader.pdf.” Google Docs, drive.google.com/file/d/1E0nWyw8Aln6zaR-RQs8zJ0Pvf5lj2u4i/view?usp=drive_link. Accessed 19 Oct. 2023.
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- Bortolot, Alexander Ives . “Women Leaders in African History: Ana Nzinga, Queen of Ndongo.” Metmuseum.org, 2019, www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/pwmn_2/hd_pwmn_2.htm.
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- “Untitled Image (Queen Nzinga and a Drummer in the Kingdom of Matamba) · Slavery Images.” Slaveryimages.org, slaveryimages.org/s/slaveryimages/item/2279. Accessed 19 Oct. 2023.